Maxi cob bridle recommendation - and are fairfax worth the money?

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canteron

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I would like a new bridle for my maxi cob, currently in a shire bridle. I hope to buy once and that’s it.
The fairfax bridles look fabulous and have great claims, but can a different bridle really make that much difference?
All recommends appreciated.
 
In my old fashioned view, all a maxi cob, or any cob or hunter needs is a well fitting traditional bridle with a wide cavesson and a properly fitting browband that ensures the head piece is not pulled onto the base of the ears.

A good honest head needs a good honest bridle. However, buying a plain off the peg bridle isn't easy, but why ?

I've just been given a fairfax double bridle, what a load of nonsense it is, with random loops and odd buckles, and it does not fit any of my horses despite it being full size. It is also strange leather, quite greasy and floppy.
 

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It's worth noting as well a lot of so called anatomical tack isn't necessarily better for all horses: obviously there's some consistency because they're all horses but man has so stretched and squished and moulded the modern horse to suit his designs that there is so much variation between animals that tack fitting really does need to be taken on a case by case basis.

The horse's face has 7x as many nerves as the human hand and is phenomenally sensitive. Leatherwork pressing on the wrong place can be really really uncomfortable. I wish people put as much time and energy into bit and bridle fitting as they did saddles; I'd not invest loads of money in a new bridle unless I knew it was going to fit.

But yes the right bridle can make a world of difference but it really does need to be the right bridle for that specific horse

**Dismounts soapbox and dives for cover*
 
FieldOrnaments said:
It's worth noting as well a lot of so called anatomical tack isn't necessarily better for all horses: obviously there's some consistency because they're all horses but man has so stretched and squished and moulded the modern horse to suit his designs that there is so much variation between animals that tack fitting really does need to be taken on a case by case basis.

The horse's face has 7x as many nerves as the human hand and is phenomenally sensitive. Leatherwork pressing on the wrong place can be really really uncomfortable. I wish people put as much time and energy into bit and bridle fitting as they did saddles; I'd not invest loads of money in a new bridle unless I knew it was going to fit.

But yes the right bridle can make a world of difference but it really does need to be the right bridle for that specific horse

**Dismounts soapbox and dives for cover*
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The biggest issues are, browbands too small and check pieces too long resulting in buckles above eye and head piece pulled forwards. Why are grackles so prolific, 90% of NH racehorses are running with what look to be very tight grackles, no doubt their tongues are held down to help with breathing but so many are obviously very winched in.
 
I had a lovely Evo equine bridle, traditional plaited brow and and nice chunky flat noseband. Looked very traditional but was nicely padded with lots of different options of anatomical or not crown piece. Not ridiculously priced either
 
AdorableAlice said:
In my old fashioned view, all a maxi cob, or any cob or hunter needs is a well fitting traditional bridle with a wide cavesson and a properly fitting browband that ensures the head piece is not pulled onto the base of the ears.

A good honest head needs a good honest bridle. However, buying a plain off the peg bridle isn't easy, but why ?

I've just been given a fairfax double bridle, what a load of nonsense it is, with random loops and odd buckles, and it does not fit any of my horses despite it being full size. It is also strange leather, quite greasy and floppy.
Click to expand...
100% this
 
I've had two cobs and I've never had a standard bridle that fitted, I've always had to buy bigger browband and smaller cheekpieces. Current cob has a Micklem, which other than changing the browband to a larger one, fits well but they seem to known for strange sizing. In a traditional bridle he's generally xf browband, full headpiece, cob cheek pieces and depending on sizing xf or full noseband. I bought the separate bits from over the years from Sabre and Jeffries.

Eta, his Jeffries bridle that he inherited most of the bits from previous horse will be over 16 yrs old, used in all weathers and still cleans up really well. I also was able to get a wider than standard noseband from them which suits his, large, head!
 
I have Fairfax for my hw cob, for dressage. I like them, they fit him nicely (although I've got a large headpiece, standard cheek pieces, large noseband so it's a bit Frankenstein) however the leather isn't great quality. On the double the loops are too large so don't hold anything in place, and in the drop noseband bridle there's a little tube to push the ends of the straps through, and it's too narrow to get them in flush. They are very expensive to so I would have hoped for nicer leather.
 
FieldOrnaments said:
It's worth noting as well a lot of so called anatomical tack isn't necessarily better for all horses: obviously there's some consistency because they're all horses but man has so stretched and squished and moulded the modern horse to suit his designs that there is so much variation between animals that tack fitting really does need to be taken on a case by case basis.

The horse's face has 7x as many nerves as the human hand and is phenomenally sensitive. Leatherwork pressing on the wrong place can be really really uncomfortable. I wish people put as much time and energy into bit and bridle fitting as they did saddles; I'd not invest loads of money in a new bridle unless I knew it was going to fit.

But yes the right bridle can make a world of difference but it really does need to be the right bridle for that specific horse

**Dismounts soapbox and dives for cover*
Click to expand...

This.

I think it's very easy to say stick with a traditional bridle but there are reasons that anatomic bridles have become a thing, that some horses geometry just won't work well with a standard bridle. However, just going out and buying a bridle randomly won't work, no different to randomly buying a saddle and hoping it'll fit because people rave about it.

For someone showing I'd recommend, if possible, a professionally fitted bridle (and that may include a VERY knowledgeable owner or rider) and then a show bridle from a maker who can custom make it with the buckles etc in the right place.

A customer was telling me a couple of days ago about a session she watched with a superb bitless and bit fitter and how much change there was in stride length with just changing a small aspect of a cheek piece.

Fairfax bridles have been slated over the years for quality, for the price.
 
I have Henry James. I like that I can mix and match both sizes and headpiece, noseband etc.

I do have two now but had one before and just swapped nosebands between cavesson for dressage and grackle for jumping. They have lasted well and good quality.
 
I have a Fairfax headpiece and browband but not the whole bridle on my cob. It was professionally fitted and bought after trying several makes. He has a high crest (gelded late plus breeding), little devil pony ears, and apparently is narrow behind the ears. From the day I got him I'd had problems with headpieces sliding forward (not pulled forward by the browband) and touching the base of his ears and that annoyed him so he'd shake his head and occassionally shake a bridle over his ears if he put his head down. Plaiting mane into forelock solved my problem but not his. Some bridles were better than others but he'd often go with a slight head tilt. Tried the Fairfax and he was so much happier, so while they may not work for everyone it certainly has for us - no disappearing bridles, no head tilt, no head tossing plus he all but puts his own bridle on nowadays!

Before anyone says his bridle must be loose if he could shake it off, yes it is but that's how he likes it and with a history of poor riding upsetting him we work on a degree of compromise.
 
Nicnac said:
I have Henry James. I like that I can mix and match both sizes and headpiece, noseband etc.

I do have two now but had one before and just swapped nosebands between cavesson for dressage and grackle for jumping. They have lasted well and good quality.
Click to expand...
Same I’d go for Henry James every time!
 
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